Schumacher title challenge back on track
Michael Schumacher put his world championship challenge back on track today by leading home a Ferrari one-two in a dramatic United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis.
Ferrari dominated and Schumacher cruised to his third win of the season, winning by 7.9 seconds from his team-mate Felipe Massa.
That ended Fernando Alonso’s run of four consecutive victories, slashing his championship lead to 19 points in the process.
The Renault driver could only manage fifth place, his first non-podium finish since Hungary last July, 16 races ago.
Alonso’s team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella proved Renault had podium pace though by taking third, denying Jarno Trulli a rostrum after a remarkable performance.
The Toyota driver started from the pit lane but weaved his way through carnage on lap one and crept up the field to score the best result of his season.
Toyota would have had more points but for Ralf Schumacher’s late retirement, which lifted Alonso up one place and restricted the damage to Renault’s constructors’ title lead, which stands at 26.
Ralf Schumacher’s late heartbreak gave Honda reason to smile by promoting Rubens Barrichello into sixth as they scored for the first time since May.
David Coulthard was seventh for Red Bull after a quiet race while Vitantonio Liuzzi scored Scuderia Toro Rosso’s first Formula One point.
Jenson Button’s hopes of a first points finish since Monaco were ended within a few hundred yards of the start when he was caught up in a massive pile-up.
McLaren driver Juan Pablo Montoya started the shunt when he hit the back of team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, prompting a frightening chain reaction.
As the cars bumped together, Button was nudged into Nick Heidfeld, firing the BMW-Sauber driver into a series of rolls from which he was fortunate to escape unscathed.
When the dust settled eight cars were eliminated, including both McLarens and home hero Scott Speed, who was a helpless victim of the chaos ahead of him.
Massa led from the start but with cars littering the track, the safety car was brought out for six laps.
When racing resumed the Ferrari pair scampered away from the chasing pack, which by lap 15 was led by Fisichella after Alonso allowed him past.
The world champion was out of sorts and soon found himself chased by a gaggle of cars, with Barrichello putting on the pressure.
Jacques Villeneuve was part of that pack, in seventh, until his BMW-Sauber engine expired on lap 24 in a cloud of smoke, leaving the 1995 Indianapolis 500 winner to trudge back to the pits.
Massa’s lead lasted only until his first pit stop on lap 30, one later than team-mate Schumacher, who clocked a stunning out lap to sneak ahead.
With a clear track ahead, Schumacher stretched his legs and comfortably pull clear, while Alonso’s problems continued.
He dropped to sixth with his final pit stop on lap 56, falling behind the Toyota pair of Trulli and Ralf Schumacher.
But only one Toyota finished the race after Schumacher retired 10 laps from the end, leaving him to watch brother Michael wrap up his 87th career win.
Ferrari held a clear edge over world championship rivals Renault, whose best performer was Giancarlo Fisichella in third place.
Renault’s constructors’ championship lead is down to 25 points and could have been less had Fisichella not kept Toyota’s Jarno Trulli at bay in fourth.
As well as breaking Renault’s dominant run, Schumacher’s win etches his name into Indianapolis folklore as the only driver to win at the Brickyard five times.
For a driver famously apathetic towards statistics, he enjoyed his moment of history, saying: “Special, fantastic – it is something extraordinary.
“The US has existed since 2000 for us in my racing period in Formula One and this place is very historic. Coming here the first time and winning made it very special.
“It’s just great and one day sitting at home I will remember it.”
For the first time this season Schumacher faced a serious threat from within his own team thanks to a mature performance from Massa.
The 25-year-old Brazilian claimed his best Formula One result and, despite leading for 30 laps, was not too disappointed to miss out on a maiden win.
“I would have liked to stay in the front but he managed to pass me and second is a great result,” he said.
“Thinking about the championship I have no possibility to win so helping is the best – you need to be clever some times.
“I am just growing every race and learning to get the best experience I can for my future.”
Massa’s run emphasised Ferrari’s superiority and Fisichella conceded they were in a league of their own, admitting his first podium in four races was as good a result as could be hoped for.
“Unfortunately those two guys were far away and their pace was a bit stronger than mine,” he said.
“I did my best. Third is the best result we could do today so we have to be satisfied by that.”
Behind the scrap for a podium finish, Rubens Barrichello took sixth to give under-fire Honda points for the first time since May.
